a.35 

L7U5 


THE  LICORICE  PLANT 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


LICORICE    CIRCULAR 


DEPARTMENT  OF  STATE, 

Washington,  February  10,  1885. 


To 


SIR  :  In  view  of  the  large  import  into  the  United  States  of  licorice, 
in  its  various  forms — the  import  of  the  root  alone,  in  1884,  amounting 
to  39,057,000  pounds,  valued  at  $800,000 — and  believing  that  the  plant 
can  be  grown  in  some  portions  of  the  United  States,  many  parties  in- 
terested herein  have  requested  the  Department  to  secure  through  its 
consuls  resident  in  the  licorice-producing  districts,  certain  information, 
embraced  in  the  following  questions: 

1.  Does  the  plant  grow  wild,  or  is  it  cultivated? 

2.  What  kind  of  soil  and  climate  are  best  suited  to  its  growth! 

3.  If  cultivated,  describe  the  mode  and  manner  of  its  cultivation. 

4.  How  long  does  it  require  to  reach  maturity? 

5.  Beyond  the  root  is  the  plant  or  stalk  utilized? 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  you  are  requested  to  supply  as  much  in- 
formation as  possible  concerning  the  plant;  the  manner  in  which  the 
root  is  prepared  for  the  market;  whether  it  is  subject  to  any  adultera- 
tion in  its  preparation  for  the  market;  the  amount  exported  from  your 
district  to  the  United  States,  where  it  is  raised,  prepared,  and  how  it  is 
shipped  hither,  &c.,  in  fine,  everything  which  can  be  of  service  to  parties 
engaged  in  the  trade,  or  who  contemplate  the  cultivation  of  the  plant 
in  the  United  States. 

I  am,  sir.  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  HUNTEE, 
Second  Assistant  Secretary. 

(3) 


145806 


CONSULAR  REPORTS 


THE  LICORICE  PLANT, 


AUGUST,    1885, 


THE  LICORICE  PLANT. 

REPORT  BY  CONSULAR  AGENT  WHITMAN,   OF  HJTDDERSFIELD,  ENGLAND. 
LICOKICE  AND  ITS  USES. 

Before  proceeding  to  give  an  account  of  the  cultivation  of  licorice 
in  this  district,  it  may  not  be  amiss  briefly  to  quote  from  several  author- 
ities some  facts  regarding  the  introduction  of  the  plant  into  England, 
its  other  habitats,  uses  in  the  pharmacopeia,  &c. : 

Licorice  is  cultivated  throughout  the  warmer  parts  of  Europe,  especially  on  the 
Mediterranean  shores,  and  its  geographical  limits  travel  eastward  throughout  Cen- 
tral Asia  to  China,  where  its  cultivation  is  also  prosecuted. 

In  the  United  Kingdom  it  is  grown  in  Surrey  and  Yorkshire.  The  roots  for  use  are 
obtained  in  lengths  of  3  or  4  feet,  and  averaging  in  diameter  from  one-fourth  to  one 
inch.  *  *  *  The  root  is  an  article  of  some  commercial  importance  on  the  con- 
tinent. 

Stick  licorice  is  made  by  crushing  and  grinding  the  root  to  a  pulp,  which  is  boiled 
in  water  over  an  open  fire,  and  the  decoction,  separated  from  the  solid  residue  of  the 
root,  is  evaporated  in  copper  pans  till  a  sufficient  degree  of  concentration  is  attained, 
after  which,  on  cooling,  it  is  rolled  into  the  form  of  sticks  or  other  shapes,  for  the  mar- 
ket. The  preparation  of  the  juice  js  a  widely  extended  industry  along  the  Mediterra- 
nean coasts ;  but  the  quality  best  appreciated  in  the  United  Kingdom  is  made  in  Ca- 
labria, and  sold  under  the  name  of  Solazzi  and  Corigliano  juice.  The  licorice  grown 
in  Yorkshire  is  made  into  a  confection  called  Pontefract  cakes. 

Licorice  in  various  forms  is  a  popular  remedy  for  coughs,  and  it  is  largely  used  by 
children  as  a  sweetmeat. 

It  enters  into  the  composition  of  many  cough  lozenges  and  other  demulcent  prep- 
arations, and  in  the  form  of  aromatic  sirups  and  elixirs  it  has  a  remarkable  effect 
in  masking  the  taste  of  nauseous  medicines,  a  property  peculiar  to  glycyrrhiziu. 

A  considerable  quantity  of  licorice  is  used  in  the  preparation  of  tobacco  for 
chewing. 

Commercial  licorice  paste  is  frequently  much  adulterated  and  often  contains  dis- 
tinct traces  of  copper,  apparently  derived  from  the  vessels  in  which  the  juice  is  in- 
spissated.— From  the  ninth  edition  of  Encyclopedia  Britannica  (vol.  14,  pp.  687, 688),  noio 
in  course  of  publication  in  England. 

Referring  to  the  writer's  statement  as  to  its  growth  in  Surrey,  I 
quote  from  Murray's  Handbook  to  that  county,  p.  101 : 

At  Mitcham  we  are  in  the  midst  of  the  great  Surrey  "flower-farms."  The  soil  of  the 
parish  is  a  deep  black  mold,  some  hundred  acres  of  which  are  covered  with  planta- 
tions of  lavender,  rosemary,  mint,  peppermint,  licorice,  chamomile,  and  other  herbs 
for  the  use  of  the  great  London  druggists,  perfumers,  and  distillers.  *  *  Mitcham 
has  been  famous  for  its  plantations  of  medicinal  herbs  for  the  last  century. 

(5) 


6  THE    LICORICE    PLANT. 

From  information  of  a  reliable  character  obtained  at  Pontefract,  I 
gather  that  the  plant  is  cultivated  only  at  Mitcham  as  regards  the 
county  of  Surrey,  and,  as  appears  from  the  above  account,  in  but  a 
small  way  for  near  consumption. 

Eeferring  to  the  Pontefract  industry,  the  only  important  one  in  the 
British  Isles,  Murray  in  his  Handbook  for  Yorkshire,  third  and  last 
edition,  1882  (p.  359),  gives  the  following  account: 

Licorice  was  first  cultivated  in  England  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  (Stowe).    *    * 
The  plant,  very  graceful,  with  feathery  leaves,  is  planted  in  ridges,  and  does  not 
come  to  perfection  until  the  fourth  year. 

The  sandy  soil  suits  it,  and  the  fibrous  rools  are  sometimes  ten  or  twelve  feet  deep. 
These  are  dug  in  autumn,  and  pounded  in  the  following  winter;  the  juice  thus  ex- 
tracted is  boiled  down  and  mixed  with  gum  arabic  and  other  ingredients,  and  mixed 
into  large  cakes.  *  *  *  The  trade  is  slowly  decaying  since  Spanish  licorice  is 
now  imported  free  of  duty. 

As  showing  how  widely  diffused  the. growth  of  this  plant  seems  to 
have  been  I  find  in  an  account  of  its  introduction  into  England,  given 
by  McKenzie's  Cyclopaedia  (unfortunately  I  cannot  quote  the  article, 
not  having  the  volume  in  the  town),  that  it  originally  came  from  Ger- 
many. If  true,  the  plant  must  indeed  be  a  hardy  one,  since  the  Ger- 
man winters  often  rival  those  of  the  United  States  in  severity.  Further 
on,  I  shall  again  refer  to  the  question  of  climate,  naturally  a  very  im- 
portant one  to  growers  in  the  United  States. 

Messrs.  Chambers  give  an  excellent  account  of  the  plant  in  their 
popular  Encyclopaedia,  revised  edition  1874  (vol.  6,  p.  147),  from  which  I 
may  pertinently  furnish  a  few  extracts: 

The  roots  of  licorice  *  *  *  are  a  well-known  article  of  materia  medica,  and 
were  used  by  the  ancients,  as  in  modern  times,  being  emollient,  demulcent,  very  use- 
ful in  catarrh  and  irritation  of  the  mucus  membrane. 

The  roots  of  the  common  licorice  are  chiefly  in  use  in  Europe.  *  *  *  It  is  culti- 
vated in  many  countries  of  Europe,  chiefly  in  Spain.  *  *  *  The  roots  are  exten- 
sively employed  by  porter  brewers.  They  are  not  imported  into  Great  Britain  in  con- 
siderable quantities,  but  the  black  inspissated  extract  of  them  (black  sugar  or  stick 
licorice)  is  largely  imported  from  the  south  of  Europe,  in  rolls  or  sticks  packed  iu 
bay  leaves  or  in  boxes  of  about  2  cwt.,  into  which  it  has  been  run. 

Licorice  is  propagated  by  slips,  and  after  a  plantation  has  been  made,  almost  three 
years  must  elapse  before  the  roots  can  be  taken  up  for  use.  The  whole  of  the  roots 
are  then  taken  up. 

Licorice  requires  a  deep,  rich,  loose  soil,  well  trenched  and  manured  ;  the  roots 
penetrating  to  the  depth  of  more  than  a  yard,  and  straight  tap-roots  being  most  es- 
teemed. 

The  old  stems  are  cleared  off  at  the  end  of  each  season,  and  the  root-stalks  so  cut 
away  as  to  prevent  overgrowth  above  ground  next  year. 

The  plant  is  propagated  by  cuttings  of  the  root-stalks. 

The  root  of  the  prickly  licorice  (Glycyrrhiza  echinata)  are  used  in  the  same  way, 
chiefly  in  Italy  and  Sicily,  Russia,  and  the  East.  The  only  American  species  is 
Glycyrrhiza  lepidota,  which  grows  in  the  plains  of  the  Missouri. 

CULTIVATION  OF  LICOKICE  IN  ENGLAND. 

Thinking  that  something  might  be  learned  from  persons  in  the  busi- 
ness residing  at  Pontefract,  I  visited  this  place  armed  with  letters  of 
introduction  to  several  of  the  largest  manufacturers  there.  Before  en- 
tering on  the  method  pursued  for  making  the  so-called  "Pontefract 
cakes"  from  the  licorice  juice,  I,  perhaps,  cannot  do  better  than  describe 
the  system  of  cultivation,  soil,  &c.,  as  obtained  on  the  spot  from  three 
practical  men,  two  out  of  the  three  being  growers  of  the  plant,  which 
I  was  then  told  had  been  introduced  into  Pontefract  by  the  monks, 
whose  simple  pharmacopeia  embraced  licorice  root  among  the  large 
number  of  herbs  prepared  by  them  for  medicinal  purposes. 

The  soil  about  Pontefract  is  well  suited  for  the  growth  of  the  plant, 


THE    LICORICE    PLANT.  7 

being  of  a  sandy,  loamy  character,  though  from  all  I  could  hear  in  this 
particular,  a  rich  black  soil  would  answer  equally  as  well,  the  only 
requisite  being  considerable  depth,  to  allow  cf  the  downward  growth 
of  the  roots. 

The  beds  are  prepared  by  being  well  trenched,  the  width  of  trench  and 
bed  averaging  3  feet,  having  the  appearance,  when  finished,  of  wide 
celery  beds.  Commencing  early  in  April  or  late  in  March,  a  top  dress- 
ing of  good  stable  manure  is  applied,  and  then  lightly  covered  over, 
leaving  the  trench,  perhaps,  6  inches  below  the  level  of  the  raised  bed. 
Buds  and  suckers,  slips  or  runners,  specimens  of  which  (^os.  1  and 
2)  are  herewith  forwarded  to  the  Department,  are  then  lightly  stuck 
into  the  soil  by  one  person — in  the  field  I  saw  a  girl  was  employed  in 
this  task — while  another  follows  along  with  a  small  spud  or  (local)  dib- 
ber with  which  holes  are  made  at  a  distance  of  some  few  inches  apart, 
and  the  buds  and  suckers  inserted  therein,  say  4  inches  below  the  stir- 
face — that  is,  the  tops  covered-by  about  4  inches  of  soil. 

This  forms  the  double  crop,  that  is,  the  buds  growing  downwards 
producing  licorice  roots  (specimen  Ro.  3),  the  suckers  forming  buds  for 
future  planting,  width  of  bed  permitting  of  cross  rows  of  plants.  The 
buds  and  suckers  are  left  in  the  ground  for  three  years  and  a  half,  no 
crop  being  obtained  until  the  September  following  the  fourth  spring. 
The  first  manuring  is  sufficient,  the  plants  being  weeded  as  required 
during  each  summer.  They  do  better  in  a  hot,  dry  summer  after  the 
first  season,  the  last  five  or  six  wet  years  before  that  of  1884  not  hav- 
ing proved  good  ones  for  the  crop. 

Frost,  it  seems,  does  not  harm  the  plant,  though  in  this  matter  I  judge 
that  our  very  severe  £few  England  winters  might  prove  harmful — 
the  coldest  season  in  Yorkshire  seldom  showing  a  greater  degree  of 
frost  than  several  degrees  above  zero,  though  the  ground  is  often  frozen 
solid  to  some  depth.  I  was  assured  that  the  plant  is  very  hardy,  had 
no  worm  or  parasite,  and  gave  little  trouble  in  its  cultivation.  Having 
the  trenches  virtually  idle  for  the  first  two  years,  since  the  tops  of  the 
plants  do  not  until  the  third  years  show  any  luxuriance  of  growth,  the 
universal  custom  is  to  plant  the  trenches  for  the  first  year  with  "ash" 
potatoes,  described  as  being  a  potato  with  a  very  small  top,  since  the 
ordinary  potato  vine  would  overshadow  the  staple,  which,  of  course,  is 
the  grower's  prime  care.  For  the  second  year,  cabbages  are  grown 
between  the  beds ;  but  for  the  third  and  fourth  (that  is,  six  mouths)  the 
trenches  must  lie  fallow,  as  the  licorice  plant  is  then  luxuriant,  and 
presents  in  the  summer  months  the  appearance  of  a  plantation  of  young 
ash  trees,  for  instance. 

The  grower  plants  a  fresh  crop  in  the  spring  of  each  year,  and  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  year  harvests  the  one  of  three  years  and  a  half's  growth. 
The  only  labor  required  beyond  this  is  that  the  beds  in  all  their  stages 
must  be  kept  free  from  weeds,  and  in  November  or  December,  when  the 
sap  is  out  of  the  plants,  they  must  be  cut  down.  If  a  winter  proves  un- 
usually severe  the  tops  of  the  plants  may  be  protected  by  a  light  cover- 
ing of  earth.  !No  irrigation  is  required  even  in  the  driest  summer. 

GATHERING  AND  PREPARING  THE  ROOT. 

The  mode  of  gathering  the  root  is  as  follows,  namely :  The  trench, 
not  the  bed,  must  be  dug  down  to  a  great  depth,  thus  exposing,  without 
injuring,  the  roots,  and  the  whole  plant  carefully  taken  out  of  the  ground. 
The  earth  from  the  second  trench  is  thrown  "into  the  first,  and  so  on, 
to  the  other  side  of  the  field. 


8  THE    LICORICE    PLANT. 

The  roots  are  placed  in  dry  cellars,  after  removing  the  tops  and  suck- 
ers, the  latter  serving  for  the  next  spring's  crop  to  produce  "  bud,"  that 
is,  roots  iu  their  early  stage  for  another  year,  sand  being  used  to  cover 
the  roots.  After  the  roots  are  dry  they  form  the  ordinary  yellow  lic- 
orice for  producing  the  juice  of  commerce,  except  a  small  portion  of  the 
top  of  the  root  next  the  bud ;  this,  it  appears,  is  not  so  valuable  as  the 
rest,  and  hence  is  separated  from  the  root  and  disposed  of  to  be  ground 
into  powder  (specimens  4  and  5),  which  is  sold  to  chemists,  and  by  them 
retailed  for  medicinal  purposes,  for  mixing  with  stout  and  beer,  and  as 
a  remedy  even  for  horses  in  certain  cases  of  sickness.  That  part  of  the 
plant  above  the  ground  seems  to  be  of  no  value  except  for  burning. 

The  three  and  a  half  years'  sucker  which  is  gathered  with  the  licorice 
plant  has  now  produced  "buds,"  which  are  reserved  for  planting  in  the 
following  spring,  and  the  new  suckers  also  to  be  planted  have  been 
propagated  from  the  old  root  and  are  cut  off  from  it  before  storing  it. 
To  preserve  these  "  buds  "  through  the  winter  they  are  put  either  into 
a  dry  cellar,  and,  according  to  McKenzie,  covered  over  with  rotten  dung, 
or,  as  in  Pontefract,  "  pied,"  that  is,  made  into  a  mound  out  of  doors 
and  well  covered  over  with  earth  or  moist  sand. 

They  seem  in  this  way  successfully  to  endure  the  cold,  wet  winters  of 
Yorkshire. 

RENT  OF  LAND,  ETC. 

Some  particulars  I  gleaned  as  to  rent  of  land,  &c. :  $30  per  acre  is 
the  common  rent  for  licorice  land,  the  usual  rent  for  cereal  lands  being 
$10  at  present.  One  man  and  a  boy  can  carry  on  several  acres,  but  the 
work  is  hard  during  the  planting  season. 

One  informant,  Mr.  David  Longstaff,  who  has  been  very  many  years 
in  the  business,  stated  that  he  considered  $500  a  liberal  estimate  to 
allow  for  "laying  down"  an  acre  from  the  start  to  yield  of  the  first  crop. 
He  gave  rent  as  $120  out  of  this,  saying  that  the  two  crops  of  ash 
potatoes  and  cabbages  hardly  more  than  recouped  the  grower  for  his 
trouble,  seed,  &c. 

CULTIVATION  OF  LICORICE  IN  THE  UNITED   STATES. 

Mr.  Longstaff  spoke  most  hopefully  of  the  introduction  of  the  plant 
into  maiiy  of  our  States,  declaring  that  in  Spain  it  grew  wild  in  great 
abundance,  owing  to  the  hot  climate,  while  he  never  knew  it  to  be  in- 
jured by  worm,  parasite,  or  frost. 

The  rainfall  of  Pontefract,  I  should  say,  is,  of  course,  considerably 
more  than  that  of  many  of  our  States. 

Mr.  Longstaff  corroborated  what  I  had  heard  from  others,  that  the 
difficulty  would  be  to  obtain  buds  in  sufficient  numbers  to  furnish  our 
•would-be  growers  with  seed.  He  stated  that  some  time  ago  he  had 
endeavored  to  obtain  five  hundred  buds  for  a  gentleman  in  London  who 
wished  to  try  some  experiment  with  them,  and  it  was  only  with  con- 
siderable difficulty  that  he  finally  got  them. 

No  one  seemed  to  think  there  was  any  way  of  planting  by  seed  alone, 
at  least,  from  the  cultivation  of  the  plant  in  England. 

As  regards  export  to  the  States,  Mr.  Longstaff  said  that  all  the 
licorice  grown  in  Pontefract  was  used  in  this  country  by  chemists,  &c., 
and  that  "Spanish  juice"  as  now  admitted,  free  of  duty  (it  paid  duty 
up  to  ten  years  ago),  was  so  cheap  that  no  English-grown  licorice  was 
now  crushed  and  made  into  the  material  for  Pontefract  cakes,  &c.  In  fact, 


THE   LICORICE   PLANT.  9 

he  thought  the  cultivation  of  the  plant  had  decreased  in  the  neighbor- 
hood by  100  acres  since  the  large  importation  from  Smyrna  and  Spain 
chity  free. 

Though  some  little  jealousy  may  exist  as  to  explaining  the  growth, 
&c.,  of  the  plant,  I  was  assured  by  Mr.  Longstaff  that  the  process  de- 
scribed to  me,  and  partly  witnessed,  was  a  simple  one,  the  great  secret 
of  the  trade  being  the  way  in  which  the  Spanish  juice  is  boiled  and  then 
compounded  for  being  made  into  cakes,  &c. 

MANUFACTURE  OF  LICORICE  IN  ENGLAND. 

Gathering  from  the  general  request  of  the  Department  for  informa- 
tion as  to  the  uses  of  the  plant  that  some  description  of  the  method  of 
manufacture  of  the  crude  product  into  the  sweetmeat  may  not  be  un- 
welcome. I  will  state  what  I  learned  from  the  largest  manufacturer 
there,  Mr.  Hillaby.  This  gentleman  received  me  very  kindly,  and,  after 
some  general  information  as  to  the  growth  of  the  plant  in  Pontefract, 
stated  that  the  manufacturers  depended  for  their  supplies  entirely  on 
Spanish  and  Smyrna  juice,  samples  of  which,  Nos.  6  and  7,  I  inclose. 
This  extract  inspissated  from  the  plant  either  in  its  wild  or  cultivated 
state  comes  to  them  in  large  packing  cases  of  2  cwt.  each,  the  cases 
securely  dovetailed  and  lined  with  paper  to  avoid  leakage  in  case  of 
heat — the  juice  being  really  a  solid  plastic  mass  of  a  dark  brown  color, 
feeling  like  tar  and  inclined  to  run  if  subject  to  great  summer  heat.  It 
may,  indeed,  be  run  into  these  cases  (vide  quoted  account).  This  juice, 
as  I  gathered  from  Mr.  Hillaby,  could  not  be  obtained  from  the  Pontefract 
roots,  partly  owing  to  their  small  size,  and  partly  because  it  paid  growers 
better  to  sell  to  chemists,  &c.,  who  found  a  ready  market  for  the  roots 
as  they  were. 

I  judge,  therefore,  that  our  hot  summers  would  produce  equally  large 
roots  with  those  crushed  in  Spain,  so  that  this  product,  if  now  largely 
imported  into  the  United  States,  could  be  obtained  in  paying  quantities 
from  the  home  growth. 

Understanding  this  juice  to  be  unadulterated,  I  presume  there  is  no 
secret  in  the  crushing  of  the  roots  to  furnish  it,  though  I  found  no  one 
who  seemed  ready  to  explain  the  sort  of  machine  formerly  used,  and 
all  that  I  can  hence  oifer  011  this  point  is  found  in  the  quoted  accounts 
previously  given. 

Explaining  very  courteously  to  me  that  the  mixing  and  boiling  pro- 
cess was  a  secret,  Mr.  Hillaby  was  good  enough,  however,  to  show  me 
through  his  extensive  premises  iu  order  that  I  might  see  the  process  of 
manufacture  after  the  juice  was  properly  boiled  and  mixed  for  being 
made  into  cakes.  In  the  first  room  I  found  large  masses  of  the  "juice," 
now  perhaps  more  properly  called  embryo  Pontefract  cakes,  spread  on 
heavy  tables,  and  there  rolled  by  women  as  dough  is  worked.  This 
mass  was  then  rolled  out  by  a  machine  into  thin  sheets,  laid  on  trays, 
and  removed  into  a  room  at  a  temperature  of  about  100°  and  there  left 
until  the  following  morning,  when  it  was  cut  out,  stamped  by  machinery 
into  various  forms,  including  the  well  known  "  Pomfret  cake"  (sample 
Ko.  8),  which  holds  its  own,  with  many  other  novelties  of  design,  such 
as  letters  of  the  alphabet,  fluted  sticks,  &c. 

The  sweetmeat,  as  it  has  now  become,  is  again  subject  to  a  high  tem- 
perature to  "  skin  over,"  and  is  then  packed  in  card-board  boxes,  which 
are  placed  in  wooden  cases  and  sent  off  to  all  parts  of  the  British  Isles 
and  the  colonies. 


10  THE    LICORICE    PLANT. 

Mr.  Hillaby's  manufactory  is  fitted  up  with  machines  entirely  of  his 
own  invention  for  the  conversion  of  the  crude  product  into  pom  fret- 
cakes,  &c.,  to  the  perfection  of  which  he  has  devoted  the  best  years  of 
his  life,  the  result  of  which  is  an  extensive  business  and  an  increasing 
demand  for  his  special  make. 

Since  writing  the  above  report  I  have  obtained  the  following  addi- 
tional information  from  Mr.  Longstaff: 

(1)  The  average  cost  of  Spanish  or  Smyrna  juice  is  about  $11  per  CWT.     In  conse- 
quence of  the  low  price  of  foreign  juice  there  is  none  now  made  in  England. 

(2)  The  inferior  part  of  the  root,  called  the  "chumps,"  is  ground  into  powder  [vidt 
sample  Xos.  4  and  5].     A  much  finer  powder  is  made  from  the  finest  root  (decorti- 
cated), and  is  used  tor  medicinal  purposes.     The  main  part  of  the  root  is  sold  in 
sticks,  of  which  a  considerable  quantity  is  consumed  by  children. 

(3)  The  average  price  of  buds  and  runners  is  about  S3  per  thousand.     The  grower 
must  wait  until  the  crop  is  ready  before  the  buds  produced  from  the  runners  are 
available,  being  taken  up  with  the  crop. 

(4)  If  any  grower  writes  to  me  I  will,  as  you  request,  do  my  best  to  procure  for  him 
a  sufficient  number  of  buds  for  an  experiment.* 

(5)  The  approximate  cost  of  an  acre  of  licorice  on  new  ground  is  about  6450.  which 
I  arrive  at  as  follows : 

Trenching  and  preparing  land $80  00 

Forty  thousand  buds,  at  $2.50 100  00 

Planting  and  manure 85  00 

Four  years'  rent  aud  rates  (taxes) 125  00 

390  00 
Four  years'  interest  on  above,  say 75  00 

Total 465  00 

Average  produce  of  one  acre  of  licorice,  45  cwt.,  at  §14 630  00 

This  calculation  is  on  the  assumption  that  this  is  the  first  crop  of  licorice,  the 
cost  of  preparing  the  land  afterward  being  about  one-half. 

The  value  of  the  buds  will  fully  repay  the  cost  of  cleaning,  taking  up,  &c. 
The  rent  is  calculated  at  830  per  acre. 

C.  W.  WHITMAN, 

Consular  Agent. 
UNITED  STATES  CONSULAR  AGENCY, 

Hucldersfield,  April  7, 1885. 


LICORICE  IN  SPAIN. 

REPORT  BY  COXSrL  MARSTOX,  OF  MALAGA. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  Department  circular 
under  date  of  February  10,  1885,  upon  the  subject  of  licorice,  aud  to 
make  the  following  answers  to  the  questions  contained  therein,  viz : 

The  plant  grows  wild.  It  requires  wild,  low,  marshy  ground,  along 
the  banks  of  rivers.  The  climate  of  Spain,  say  in  the  provinces  Murcia, 
Aragon,  and  Toledo,  is  most  suitable.  It  cannot  be  cultivated  so  as  to 
increase  yield. 

In  Spain  it  requires,  say,  on  an  average,  eight  years  to  reach  maturity. 

The  plant  or  stalk  is  not  utilized  beyond  the  root. 

*  Mr.  Longstaff's  address  is  "David  Longstaff,  esq.,  Monkroyd  House,  Pontefract, 
Yorkshire,  England." 


THE    LICORICE    PLANT.  11 

Exports  of  licorice  from  Malaga  to  United  Stales  in  1682,  1883,  and  1884. 


Paste.                                 Eoot. 
Tear 

Quantity. 

Value.        Quantity.  ! 

Value. 

Boxes. 
1882                 ....                                          1  348 

Boxes.      ' 
$32,  841  15              3,  365 
30,  152  46              8,  285 
4,  770  96              7,  309 

$9.  336  51 
24,  371  59 
21,  688  39 

1883  1,264 

1884              ....                                       200 

Total  2  812 

18  959 

LICORICE   ROOT. 

There  are  several  districts  in  Spain  in  which  licorice  root  is  obtained 
and  large  exports  are  made  from  Spanish  sea-ports  to  the  United  States. 

France  also  consumes  large  quantities  of  this  root  in  the  manufacture 
of  licorice  paste,  and  probably  takes  nearly  as  much  as  the  United 
States. 

This  root  is  used  in  the  United  States  principally  for  sweetening  in 
the  manufacture  of  plug  tobacco;  it  is  also  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
drugs  and  in  the  preparation  of  medicines. 

It  grows  wild  in  the  lower  lands,  in  marshy  grounds,  and  on  the  banks 
of  rivers.  Probably  the  best  quality  obtained  in  Spain  is  found  in  the 
provinces  of  Aragon,  Murcja,  andvToledo.  The  very  best  Spanish  lic- 
orice root  is  found  near  the  margin  of  the  Ebro,  in  Aragon.  The  next 
in  point  of  quality  is  obtained  near  Cordova.  Where  it  once  takes  root 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  eradicate  it.  It  grows  in  many  countries,  and 
varies  in  quality  according  to  soil.  Spanish  licorice  differs  quite  mate- 
rially in  the  several  provinces,  the  principal  variations  being  that  in 
some  parts  the  bark  is  red,  brown,  and  light  color,  the  inside  varying 
from  light  yellow  to  brown ;  the  proportions  of  saccharine  and  starch 
vary  also.  Many  kinds  are  fibrous,  while  others  are  almost  as  hard  as 
wood.  The  ground  is  pulled  at  intervals  of  three,  four,  or  five  years, 
according  to  circumstances,  by  digging  trenches,  pulling  everything 
visible  as  long  as  possible  until  it  breaks. 

After  a  year  or  two  it  shows  above  the  ground  with  a  little  stem;  in 
the  spring  over  this  stem  there  are  little  flowers. 

From  the  time  this  stem  appears  until  the  flowers  have  all  fallen  this 
root  is  not  in  condition  to  extract,  for  the  sap  does  not  return  to  the  root 
till  then. 

Each  year,  till  the  ground  is  culled,  the  quantity  of  roots  and  tops 
increases,  until  the  ground  is  unfit  for  cultivation  of  any  kind. 

It  is  from  September  till  March  that  the  root  is  gathered,  and  goes 
through  a  process  of  drying  or  curing  before  it  is  considered  marketable, 
the  time  required  for  the  drying  or  curing  process  being  from  four  to 
five  months  and  requires  a  dry  climate. 

LICORICE   IN  THE   SEVERAL  COUNTRIES. 

Licorice  root  is  also  found  and  gathered  in  Asiatic  Turkey,  Greece, 
Italy,  in  the  Sicilies,  &c.  In  the  Sicilies  and  in  Italy  very  little,  if  any, 
is  exported  as  root,  it  being  used  in  the  manufacture  of  roll  or  stick 
licorice.  There  is  a  small  section  in  England  which  produces  a  limited 
quantity.  The  United  States  also  have  licorice  root  in  several  parts  of 
the  country,  but  the  quality  is  not  such  as  to  give  it  value. 


12  THE   LICORICE   PLANT. 

The  quality  of  root  produced  in  the  different  countries  is  as  follows, 
viz :  Asiatic  Turkey,  decidedly  bitter ;  Greece,  bitter,  but  not  so  bitter 
as  Asiatic  Turkey ;  Sicily,  sweet,  but  less  so  than  Spanish ;  Spain,  rich 
and  sweet ;  Italy,  richest  and  sweetest  of  all. 

EXPORTS   OF  SPANISH  LICORICE. 

Malaga  has  not  up  to  the  present  time  been  considered  an  impor- 
tant shipping  point  for  root ;  Seville,  Alicante,  Barcelona,  and  Bilbao 
are  nearer  the  producing  districts,  yet  during  the  past  three  years  a 
marked  increase  in  shipments  from  Malaga  has  taken  place,  as  per  sta- 
tistics inclosed,  while  the  shipments  of  licorice  paste  have  materially 
decreased.  The  value  of  this  root  does  not  in  Spain  admit  of  its  being 
increased  in  crop  by  cultivation,  and  the  quantity  gathered  depends 
greatly  upon  the  severity  or  mildness  of  the  winter.  If  severe  it  lessens 
the  quantity  gathered. 

Again,  if  other  crops  are  good,  labor  being  scarce,  less  root  is  gathered  j 
consequently  prices  are  higher. 

MANUFACTURE  OF   LICORICE  PASTE  IN  SPAIN. 

There  are  one  or  two  large  French  establishments  in  Spain  for  making 
paste  and  stick  licorice,  one  in  Seville  and  the  other  in  Saragossa,  be- 
sides a  few  small  Spanish  concerns  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
licorice  paste. 

H.  C.  MAESTOX, 

Consul. 
UNITED  STATES  CONSULATE, 

Malaga,  March  9,  1885. 


LICORICE  IN  WESTERN  ANDALUSIA. 

REPORT  BY  CONSUL  OPPENHEIM.  OF  CADIZ. 

In  deference  to  directions  given  in  Department  dispatch  dated  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1885,  I  have  the  honor  to  forward  herewith  such  data  as  I 
have  been  able  to  gather  upon  the  subject  of  licorice  production  in  this 
district. 

I  regret  to  have  to  say  that  the  information  is  somewhat  meager  and 
not  likely  to  be  of  much  value  in  the  way  of  practical  guidance  to  any 
one  wishing  to  introduce  the  licorice  culture ;  yet  it  seems  to  be  all  that 
was  obtainable  in  Seville,  the  point  whence  most  of  the  root  produced 
in  this  district  is  exported. 

Here  in  Cadiz  I  could  find  no  one  at  all  conversant  with  licorice 
culture  or  production,  neither  could  I  obtain  any  hint  as  to  the  existence 
of  the  needed  data  in  agricultural  reports  or  text-books. 

From  a  practical  botanist,  at  present  temporarily  absent  from  this 
city,  I  expect  to  obtain  data  as  to  the  plant's  position  in  the  Linnean 
system  of  classification,  its  morphology,  mode  of  development,  &c.,  and 
as  soon  as  the  information  reaches  me  it  shall  be  forwarded  to  the  De- 
partment to  serve  as  a  complement  to  what  is  herewith  inclosed. 

The  plant  grows  wild  in  this  district  and  it  is  believed  that  it  is  not 
cultivated  in  any  part  of  Spain. 

A  clayey  alluvium  produces  the  best  quality  of  root,  but  alluvial  soils 


THE    LICORICE   PLANT.  13 

of  a  sandy  character  give  the  heaviest  yields.  The  bottom  lands  of  the 
great  Spanish  rivers,  such  as  the  Ebro,  the  Tagus,  and  the  Guadalquivir, 
are  the  plant's  usual  habitat,  and  such  lands  are  presumably  more  re- 
tentive of  moisture  than  the  uplands. 

A  warm  climate  and  the  absence  of  severe  ground  frost  seem  to  be 
conditions  necessary  to  its  existence,  but  data  as  to  the  way  the  plant's 
growth  and  the  annual  yield  are  affected  by  the  variations  in  the  rain- 
fall or  temperature  are  wanting. 

The  plant  and  stalk  are  not  utilized  in  this  district ;  they  are  burnt 
or  removed. 

The  licorice  plant  is  here  looked  upon  as  a  weed,  and  such  a  vigorous 
one  as  not  to  need  the  interference  of  man  to  protect  it  from  the  en- 
croachment of  other  weeds  or  other  noxious  influences.  The  cropping 
consists  in  simply  cutting  the  roots  at  the  depth  of  about  1  yard ;  the 
roots  are  stocked  in  well-ventilated  sheds  until  dry,  and  are  then 
cleaned  and  packed  into  bundles  for  shipment. 

The  yield  is  stated  to  vary  from  30  to  40  cwt.  per  aranzada  (0.9284 
of  an  acre),  worth  usually  about  5  pesetas  per  cwt.  The  usual  mode  of 
preparing  paste  from  the  root  is  by  crushing,  boiling,  and  evaporating, 
but  there  are  said  to  be  other  processes  in  use  which  are  looked  upon 
in  the  light  of  valuable  business  secrets  and  are  jealously  guarded  from 
would-be  inquirers. 

The  proportion  of  paste  extracted  from  a  given  weight  of  root  varies 
in  subjection  both  to  the  richness  of  the  root  and  to  the  quality  of  paste 
it  is  desired  to  produce.  The  dried  root  generally  yields  from  18  to  20 
per  cent,  of  its  weight  in  paste  of  the  best  grade,  and  from  25  to  28  per 
cent,  in  that  of  ordinary  quality. 

The  licorice  root  and  paste  exported  from  this  district  to  the  United 
States  are  shipped  at  Seville,  both  by  steamer,  via  England,  and,  direct, 
by  sailing  vessels.  The  shipments  (root  and  paste)  for  the  last  three 
calendar  years  were  as  follows  : 

1882 $21,683  91 

1883 46,028  70 

1884 46,840  02 

ERNEST  L.  OPPENHEIM, 

Consul. 
UNITED  STATES  CONSULATE, 

Cadiz,  March  20,  1885. 


CULTIVATION  OF  LICORICE  IN  SICILY. 

REPORT  BY  CONSUL  WOODCOCK,  OF  CATANIA. 

In  answer  to  circular  of  February  10,  1885,  calling  for  information 
relative  to  the  licorice  plant  that  grows  in  this  district,  I  have  the 
honor  to  communicate  the  following  : 

Licorice  grows  to  the  height  of  2  or  3  feet.  It  bears  a  small  yellow 
flower.  Its  leaves  are  pinnate.  The  roots  grow  from  6  to  20  feet  in 
length. 

The  valley  of  the  river  Simeto  (ancient  Symiethus)  in  this  consular 
district  is  rich  in  vegetation.  Here  not  only  all  pthe  cereals  grow  to 
perfection  under  the  rude  culture  of  the  rustic  Sicilian  husbandman, 
but  the  wild  plants  with  which  the  farmer  has  to  contend  spring  up 
spontaneously.  Among  the  latter  may  be  classed  the  licorice  plant. 


14  THE    LICORICE    PLANT. 

In  response  to  a  question  asked  of  a  Simeto  Valley  farmer  if  the  lico- 
rice plant  grew  upon  his  farm,  he  replied,  "God  forbid,  for  of  all  wild 
vegetation  it  is  the  most  difficult  to  subdue." 

If  any  particle  of  the  root  is  left  in  the  ground,  it  grows  and  sends 
up  shoots.  It  is  not  cultivated  in  this  district ;  it  grows  in  a  wild  state. 
In  the  fields  where  it  grows  are  cultivated  not  only  the  various  grains, 
such  as  wheat,  oats,  barley,  &c.,  and  vegetables,  but  also  oranges,  lemons, 
and  the  various  other  fruits  of  this  climate.  Of  course  this  plant  is 
injurious  to  the  grains  and  fruits,  but  the  thorough  digging  of  the 
soil  for  the  roots  of  the  licorice  is  beneficial  to  the  production  of  crops. 

The  agriculturist  here  uses  the  most  rustic  of  implements.  His  plow 
is  that  of  the  old  Eomaus,  consisting  of  an  iron  point  which  simply 
scratches  the  soil  without  turning  a  furrow.  In  digging  for  the  licorice 
root,  the  soil  is  thoroughly  turned  over  and  is  dug  to  the  depth  of  from 
1  to  3  feet. 

There  are  two  species  of  the  licorice  plant  here.  The  one  sends  down 
a  main  root  to  the  depth  of  from  3  to  6  feet  with  but  few  lateral  roots; 
the  other  does  not  sink  so  deep  into  the  earth,  but  creeps  beneath  the 
surface  at  a  depth  of  from  6  inches  to  2  feet. 

The  latter  plant  is  most  productive  and  is  the  most  highly  prized. 

Doubtless  if  the  licorice  plant  were  cultivated  it  would  yield  larger 
results.  The  people  here  think  its  culture  will  not  pay,  hence  they  are 
satisfied  to  collect  it  as  produced  by  nature  in  its  wild  state.  There  is 
no  use  made  of  the  stem  except  for  fuel. 

The  licorice  plant  grows  most  luxuriantly  in  the  valleys  adjacent  to 
streams  of  water.  It  is,  however,  found  among  the  foot-hills  of  the 
mountains,  but  here  grows  less  luxuriantly.  It  requires  a  moist  soil 
consisting  of  a  clay  loam.  The  climate  must  be  warm,  such  as  is  adapted 
to  the  growth  of  oranges,  lemons,  and  the  other  semi-tropical  fruits.  It 
cannot  endure  frosts,  or  cold,  high  altitudes. 

The  root  continues  to  grow  for  four  or  five  years,  when  it  is  considered 
in  the  best  condition  for  gathering.  The  root  will  continue  to  grow  for 
ten  or  twelve  years  longer,  but  it  is  not  considered  so  rich  in  juice- 
yielding  quality. 

The  crop  is  gathered  from  the  same  ground  once  in  four  or  five  years. 
On  the  average  100  pounds  of  the  root  produces  16  pounds  of  licorice 
paste.  During  the  months  of  June,  July,  August,  and  September, 
and  the  first  part  of  October  the  root  is  not  disturbed,  for  the  reason 
that  it  is  then  in  full  vegetation,  and  for  the  further  more  important 
reason  that  the  ground  is  dry  and  hard-baked  by  the  sun,  and  it  is  with 
much  difficulty  and  great  expense  that  it  can  then  be  dug. 

As  soon  as  the  autumn  rains  set  in  in  sufficient  quantity  to  saturate 
the  ground  the  root  harvest  commences. 

During  the  months  aforesaid  the  manufactories  of  licorice  are  idle, 
doing  little  or  nothing  in  the  way  of  manufacture.  In  Catania  there 
are  some  seven  manufactories  of  licorice,  which  employ  from  twenty  to 
forty  hands  each,  and  are  capable  of  manufacturing  750,000  pound's  of 
the  root.  There  is  also  a  factory  in  Pateruo  ;  another  in  Caltcgeroue, 
and  another  in  Terranova,  in  this  district. 

When  the  roots  are  taken  from  the  earth  they  are  bound  in  bundles, 
and  upon  the  backs  of  rnules  transported  from  the  fields  to  the  facto- 
ries. Here  they  lie  in  store  for  a  time  in  a  state  of  seasoning. 

When  the  roots  are  sufficiently  cured  men  and  women,  with  hatchets, 
cut  them  in  bits  of  from  3  to  6  inches  in  length.  These  are  then  plunged 
into  a  vat  of  water  and  thoroughly  washed.  They  are  then  crushed  in 
a  mill  of  rude  construction.  It  consists  of  two  circular  stones  of  lava. 


THE    LICORICE    PLANT.  15 

The  one  is  in  horizontal  position ;  the  other,  perpendicular,  rests  upon 
it.  Through  the  center  of  the  upper  stone  is  an  axle,  to  which  is  at- 
tached a  mule,  which  revolves  it  slowly  in  a  circle  (cart-wheel  like)  upon 
the  lower  stone.  A  workman  with  a  wooden  shovel  is  constantly  em- 
ployed in  keeping  the  roots  beneath  the  revolving  stone.  When  the 
roots  are  sufficiently  crushed  they  are  placed  with  water  in  kettles  and 
boiled  for  twenty-four  hours.  They  are  then  removed  from  the  kettles 
and  placed  beneath  a  screw-press,  and  all  the  juice  is  thoroughly 
squeezed  out,  which  runs  into  a  cistern  beneath.  This  juice  is  pumped 
from  the  cistern  and  passed  through  a  sieve  into  kettles  and  the  boiling 
resumed.  The  sediment  from  the  strainer  is  again  pressed. 

The  contents  of  the  boiling  kettles  is  a  second  time  filtered.  When 
boiled  to  the  proper  consistency  it  i«  removed  to  a  broad,  shallow  kettle 
over  a  slow  fire,  where  workmen  with  spades  continue  to  stir  it  until  it 
becomes  dense  enough  for  paste.  Then  it  is  removed  and  placed  in 
wooden  molds  of  the  size  they  wish  the  cakes  or  by  workmen  worked 
into  little  rolls  or  sticks.  When  cold  and  hard  the  cakes  are  wrapped 
in  paper  and  boxes  for  export. 

The  little  rolls  or  sticks  of  licorice  are  placed  upon  shelves  to  dry. 
When  they  become  perfectly  dry  and  hard  they  are  packed  in  laurel 
leaves  in  boxes. 

In  preparing  the  root  for  market,  women  with  knives  scrape  off  the 
bark  and  then  cut  it  into  bits  of  one-half  inch  or  longer  in  length,  as 
the  purchaser  may  wish.  These  are  then  dried  in  the  sun  and  placed 
in  bags  for  export. 

In  response  to  my  question  a  manufacturer  answered  that  licorice 
paste  may  be  adulterated  with  starch,  rice  flour,  wheat  flour,  flour  of 
the  carraba  (locust  bean),  or  even  wood  ashes;  but  he  expressed  the 
opinion  that  the  manufacturers  of  Catania  could  not  be  so  recreant  to 
honesty  as  to  resort  to  these  base  methods. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Catania  report  that  in  the  year  1883 
440,920  pounds  of  the  root  were  prepared  by  the  manufacturers  and  ex- 
ported to  the  United  States,  in  value  amounting  to  $11,580,  and  that 
79,126  pounds  of  the  root  were  manufactured  and  exported  to  France, 
in  value  amounting  to  $2,079,  the  total  export  for  the  year  being  520,080 
pounds  of  the  root  manufactured,  valued  at  $13,659. 

As  shown  by  my  records  for  the  year  1884,  there  were  exported  to 
New  York  of  licorice  paste  112,746  pounds,  valued  at  $14,965.85,  and  of 
the  root  14,047  pounds,  valued  at  $567.24;  the  total  value  of  the  article 
exported  for  the  year  being  $15,533.09. 

ALBERT  WOODCOCK, 

Consul. 

UNITED  STATES  CONSULATE, 

Catania,  March  12,  1885. 


CULTIVATION  OF  LICOEICE  IN  PORTUGAL. 

REPORT  BY  VICE  CONSUL-GENERAL  WILBOR,  OF  LISBON. 

I  have  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  circular  dated  February  10, 1885, 
propounding  interrogatories  in  relation  to  the  growth  and  cultivation 
of  licorice. 

I  beg  to  report  that  licorice  grows  in  Portugal,  in  a  few  districts, 
spontaneously,  but  no  use  whatever  is  made  of  it.  Such  of  the  various 


16 


THE    LICORICE    PLANT. 


preparations  of  that  root  as  are  used  in  this  Kingdom  are  entirely  of 
foreign  origin. 

The  licorice  root  and  paste  exported  from  Portuguese  ports  are  orig- 
inally sent  hither  from  Spain  for  shipment. 

J.  B.  WILBOE, 
Vice  and  Deputy  Consul- General. 

CONSULATE-GENERAL  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

Lisbon,  March  12,  1885. 


CULTIVATION  OF  LICORICE  IN  ASIA  MINOR. 

EEPOET  BY  CONSUL  STEVENS,  OF  SMYRNA. 

In  acknowledgment  of  circular  under  date  of  February  10,  1885,  call- 
ing for  information  concerning  licorice  root,  how  it  is  grown,  prepared 
for  market,  &c.,  I  have  the  honor  to  report  as  follows : 

The  root  grows  wild.  Being  indigenous,  it  requires  no  cultivation. 
The  best  root  is  found  on  the  borders  of  streams,  creeks,  and  rivers, 
•where  the  soil  is  sandy  but  subject  to  overflow. 

The  climate  must  be  mild,  as  the  quality  is  affected  by  frost.  The 
plant  reaches  maturity  in  three  years;  sometimes,  under  favorable  con- 
ditions of  soil  and  climate,  in  two  years.  Once  it  has  taken  root,  it  is 
very  tenacious  of  life,  growing  spontaneously,  and  although  the  ground 
be  dug  over  every  two  or  three  years  it  will  continue  to  reproduce  itself. 
The  plant  itself,^  which  attains"  to  a  height  of  from  3  to  4  feet,  is  not 
utilized,  the  root  alone  possessing  value.  The  root  does  not  take  a  deep 
hold  of  the  soil,  seldom  reaching  below  2  feet,  and  is  easily  extracted. 
The  best  time  for  digging  is  when  the  sap  is  in  the  root,  say  during  the 
months  of  October,  November,  and  December.  After  being  dug  it  is 
carefully  dried,  to  prevent  mold,  and  kept  from  freezing,  until  it  is 
perfectly  dry.  'it  is  then  packed  in  bales  of  300  pounds  weight,  and 
subjected  to  hydraulic  pressure  to  reduce  space  and  thus  save  freight. 
Great  care  must  be  observed  in  these  processes,  as  the  slightest  moisture 
is  hurtful,  and  if  one  bale  in  a  cargo  is  injured  the  injury  is  communi- 
cated to  the  whole.  The  prepared  root  must  be  free  from  the  slightest 
blemish,  as  other  wise  it  is  well  nigh  valueless.  Hence  no  adulteration 
is  possible. 

A  very  large  proportion  of  the  root  produced  in  this  province  finds 
a  market  in  the  United  States,  being  conveyed  thither  in  sailing  ves- 
sels flying  the  Italian  and  Austrian  flags,  at  an  average  freight  of  $4.80 
per  ton  of  2,240  pounds.  The  exports  of  licorice  root  from  this  consular 
district  to  the  United  States  during  the  twelve  years  were  as  follows  : 


Tear. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Tear. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1873                  

Owt. 
44  015 

$96  831 

m, 

Cwt.     1 

127  061  i 

$°67  939 

1874 

63  646 

138  464 

1880 

214  628  1 

445  886 

1875 

81  598 

168  5°9 

1881 

1876                           .             .     - 

42  112 

80  543 

1889 

193  690 

471  028 

1877 

ll9  307 

176  °74 

18fc3 

288*  458 

649*  057 

Ig78                 

184,  405 

398  672 

1884 

269  732  • 

618  100 

THE    LICORICE    PLANT.  17 

The  quality  of  tbe  root  produced  ill  this  province  is  superior  to  that 
found  in  Greece  or  Syria,  and  perhaps  to  that  of  any  other  country. 

The  very  best  grown  is  at  Meneinen,  a  place  situated  about  23  miles 
from  Smyrna,  in  the  valley  of  the  river  Hermus,  and  on  the  line  of  the 
Cassaba  Eailway. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Alascbeir  (ancient  Philadelphia),  the  present 
terminus  of  this  railway,  large  districts  are  given  over  to  the  growth  of 
licorice.  The  largest  yield  is,  however,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sakia, 
on  the  line  of  the  Ottoman  Eailway,  which  at  this  place  skirts  the  val- 
ley of  the  Meander.  This  territory  is  monopolized  by  the  wealthy 
English  firm  of  McAudrews  &  Forbes,  who  make  heavy  shipments  to 
the  United  States. 

The  Alascheir  territory  is  now  largely  controlled  by  an  American 
manufacturing  company,  of  which  John  H.  Leeds,  of  New  Haven,  Conn., 
is  manager.  The  energy  and  enterprise  shown  by  Mr. 'Leeds  in  getting 
possession  of  this  property  are  worthy  of  emulation  by  other  American 
capitalists.  Be  has  also  secured  extensive  licorice-producing  grounds 
in  Syria,  and  is  no  longer  at  the  mercy  of  the  one  or  two  firms  who 
formerly  monopolized  the  product  in  this  region. 

It  is  now  only  about  fifty  years  since  the  fact  became  known  that 
licorice  root  was  growing  wild  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers  which  drain 
the  fertile  regions  of  Asia  Minor.  A  German  archaBologist  made  the 
discovery.  Some  time  after  an  enterprising  English  resident  of  Smyrna 
secured  from  the  Turkish  Government  the  sole  right  for  a  series  of  years 
to  dig  the  root,  which  then,  as  now,  was  growing  for  the  most  part 
upon  land  owned  by  the  Government.  He  realized  a  fortune  out  of  the 
monopoly,  and  then  sold  it  to  the  English  firm  before  mentioned.  The 
concession  expired  a  number  of  years  ago,  and  has  not  been  renewed ; 
but  until  the  advent  of  Mr.  Leeds,  about  eighteen  months  since,  the 
monopoly  was  maintained  against  all  efforts  of  individuals  to  break  it. 

I  see  no  reason  why  licorice  may  not  be  produced  in  California,  New 
Mexico,  Texas,  in  fact,  all  the  Southern  States  of  tbe  Union,  with  the 
exception  of  those  in  the  northern  tier.  Whether  it  could  be  produced 
in  competition  with  this  region  is  perhaps  a  question,  inasmuch  as  the 
labor  of  digging  it  is  considerable,  and  labor  of  the  kind  required  can 
be  had  here  at  one-fourth  the  cost  of  the  cheapest  labor  in  the  United 
States. 

As  I  have  said,  however,  when  once  the  plant  is  well  rooted  its  eradi- 
cation is  difficult,  so  rank  is  its  growth  and  so  tenacious  is  its  life,  -and 
it  may  be  experiment  would  prove  that  its  introduction  would  be  at- 
tended with  highly  beneficial  consequences. 

The  amount  of  the  annual  product  in  Asia  Minor  is  certainly  limited, 
and  as  the  demand  for  it,  in  one  form  or  another,  by  other  countries  is 
increasing  rapidly,  some  new  region  must  soon  or  late  be  discovered  or 
created  in  order  to  meet  this  demand. 

I  hope  to  be  able  in  a  few  days  to  gather  more  facts  bearing  upon 
this  subject,  which  I  shall  embody  in  a  supplementary  report. 

W.  E.  STEVENS, 

Consul. 

UNITED  STATES  CONSULATE, 

(Smyrna,  March  27,  1885. 
136  A 2 


18  THE    LICORICE    PLANT. 

SYRIAN  LICORICE  ROOT. 

HE  POET  BY  CONSUL  ROBE  SOX,  OF  BEIRUT. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  a  circular  from  the 
Department  of  State  dated  February  10,  requesting  certain  information 
about  licorice  root.  I  beg  now  to  transmit  the  following  answers  to  the 
questions  contained  in  said  circular: 

The  licorice  plant  grows  wild. 

A  temperate  or  warm  climate  with  a  rich,  deep  soil  are  best  suited  to 
its  growth. 

The  licorice  plant  is  not  cultivated  in  Syria  or  elsewhere  to  my  knowl- 
edge. 

Licorice  root  is  only  considered  of  commercial  value  after  it  has  at- 
tained from  three  to  five  years'  growth.  As  a  rule,  the  ground  is  dug 
over  every  three  or  four  years,  according  to  the  condition  of  the  plant. 
In  the  autumn  and  winter  the  soil  is  removed,  \vheu  the  root  is  gathered 
and  dried  in  the  open  air. 

Beside  the  root,  no  part  of  the  plant  is  considered  of  commercial  value 
except  in  a  few  localities,  where  the  stalk  is  used  for  fuel. 

Much  care  is  required  in  handling  and  watching  the  root  during  the 
period  of  drying  to  prevent  it  from  molding  or  rotting,  frequent  turning 
being  necessary.  After  the  root  is  thoroughly  dry,  which  is  not  before 
the  July  or  August  following,  it  is  conveyed  on  camels  or  mules  to  some 
convenient  point  for  shipment  and  there  pressed  into  bales  of  suitable  size 
for  exportation.  It  is  not  subject  to  adulteration  either  during  or  after 
its  preparation  for  the  market.  The  quantity  of  licorice  root  declared 
at  this  consulate  for  shipment  to  the  United  States  during  the  year  18S4 
was  936,980  pounds,  valued  at  810.125. 35,  but  I  am  informed  that  there 
were  shipments  of  licorice  root  from  this  district  to  the  United  States 
invoiced  at  the  Smyrna  consulate.  Licorice  grows  in  some  parts  of  the 
United  States,  but  has  never  been  utilized,  nor  is  it  likely  to  be  soon,  as 
the  cost  of  labor  is  so  much  more  than  in  Syria,  where  the  wages  re- 
ceived for  digging  and  collecting  the  root  average  from  10  to  20  cents  a 
day;  adults  and  children  are  employed.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  much 
of  the  southern  part  of  the  United  States  is  well  adapted  for  the  growr  it 
of  licorice  root,  but  persons  who  understand  the  nature  of  the  plant  in- 
sert that  it  is  impossible  to  get  rid  of  it  after  it  gets  hold  of  the  soil,  and 
where  the  licorice  root  grows  land  is  useless  for  agricultural  purp  >>>s 
and  has  to  be  abandoned.  It  is  found  in  large  quantities  in  the  Eu- 
phrates and  Tigris  Valleys. 

JOHS  T.  ROBESOS, 

Consul. 

UNITED  STATES  CONSULATE, 

Beirut,  May  27,  18*5. 


SYRIAN  LICORICE  ROOT. 

REPORT  BY  COXSULAR  AGEXT  COIDAX,   OF  ALEXAXDRETTA. 

The  plant  grows  wild,  and  is  not  cultivated.  All  kin  Is  )f  s)il  suit 
the  growth  of  this  root,  the  sandy,  argillous,  and  calcareous,  as  well 
as  the  dark  and  reddish  ground;  but  the  best  suited  soils  are  ths  d  i  u;> 
ones,  the  places  which  daring  winter  are  covered  with  water.  Tiie  b3st 
soil  of  all  is  the  smooth  and  fertile  grounds  of  the  plains 


THE    LICORICE   PLANT.  19 

to  rigid  weather,  and  the  banks  of  rivers.  A  cold  climate  is  not  suited 
to  its  growth,  and  the  root  never  grows  on  hills  where  the  snow  falls 
in  winter. 

It  requires  three  years  to  reach  maturity.  The  first  year  after  the 
ground  has  been  dug  the  root  of  the  new  plant  is  very  thin  and  con- 
tains a  milky  vegetable  matter,  which,  in  the  second  year,  is  formed 
into  the  thick  yellow  matter  of  the  licorice,  but  not  sufficiently  strong 
to  resist  the  air  and  sun. 

The  plant  or  stalk  is  not  utilized. 

The  root  is  not  subject  to  any  adulteration  in  its  preparation  for  the 
market.  It  is  dug  during  the  end  of  the  winter  and  the  spring,  ex- 
posed to  the  sun  to  dry,  and  when  dry  enough  it  is  pressed  by  hydrau- 
lic presses  in  bales  and  shipped  for  export. 

STEPHEN  J.  COIDAtf, 

Consular  Agent. 

UNITED  STATES  CONSULAR  AGENCY, 

Alexandretta,  May  13,  1885. 


SYRIAN  LICORICE  ROOT. 

REPORT  BY  CONSULAR  AGENT  POCHE,  OF  ALEPPO. 

In  answer  to  the  circular  of  the  Department  of  State  relative  to 
licorice  root,  which  you  have  been  pleased  to  transmit  to  me,  I  have 
the  honor  to  inform  you  that,  from  all  the  information  I  could  gather 
in  the  vicinity  of  Aleppo  about  this  plant,  it  results  that  it  is  not  culti- 
vated in  any  part  and  grows  wild  in  a  large  tract  of  this  villayet. 

As  to  the  second  question,  relative  to  the  land,  [  must  inform  you 
that  this  plant  prefers  the  plains  where  the  soil  is  deep  and  red,  although 
it  grows  as  well  in  the  other  lands  in  the  east  and  the  west  of  this  prov- 
ince, where  the  climate  is  temperate. 

The  reproduction  of  this  plant  is  made  with  great  rapidity  by  its 
energetic  roots  as  well  as  by  its  seed. 

The  root  only  is  util.ized.  As  to  the  plant  itself,  it  is  of  no  use.  The 
plant  that  grows  in  the  vicinity  of  towns  is  used  for  the  heating  of 
ovens.  The  cultivation  of  this  root  in  this  province,  for  exportation, 
dates  from  twenty  years  ago,  and  was  inaugurated  by  a  French  manu- 
facturer, Mr.  Vidal,  who  established  a  factory  in  Autioch  for  the  prep- 
aration of  the  root,  which,  after  being  dug  out  of  the  ground  and  dried, 
used  to  be  scraped,  made  into  faggot  packages  of  three  different  sizes, 
and  exported  to  France  and  Spain,  where  they  used  it  for  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  drink  called  "coco"  (licorice-water)  and  for  pharmaceutical 
purposes.  This  enterprise,  after  some  years  of  existence,  tailed,  owing 
to  bad  management. 

For  a  long  time  this  commerce  was  abandoned,  when  a  few  years 
since  some  firms  of  Smyrna,  who  deal  in  this  article  with  the  United 
States,  sent  their  agents  to  Antioch  and  began,  in  the  plains  which 
surround  this  city,  to  cultivate  this  root,  which  is  exported  in  its  wild 
state,  either  to  Smyrna  or  direct  to  America.  The  exports  have -been 
simultaneously  made  at  the  ports  of  Suedich  and  Alexandretta.  The 
cultivation  of  this  root — which  is  considered  to  be  the  plague  of  the 
lands  where  it  grows,  as  the  latter  cannot  be  used  for  any  other  culture 
and  to  clear  the  same  of  it  would  require  a  long,  assiduous,  ami  very 
expensive  work— has  become  an  important  resource  for  this  province 


20  THE    LICORICE    PLANT. 

which  previously  used  but  a  very  small. quantity  of  it  to  make  the  bev- 
erage known  under  the  name  of  "  coco."  The  right  to  root  up  this 
plant  from  the  lands  where  it  grows  is  bought  from  the  proprietors  for 
a  certain  number  of  years,  as  the  reproduction,  notwithstanding  the 
uprooting  of  the  plant,  is  effected  very  rapidly.  As  soon  as  the  first 
rains  of  November  fall,  and  the  plant  becomes  completely  dry,  and  the 
sap  is  reabsorbed  by  the  roots,  workmen  begin  with  spades  to  pull  this 
root  out.  This  article,  in  a  damp  condition,  is  heaped  up  in  stacks  on 
a  bed  of  pebbles  placed  on  sloping  ground,  which  allows  the  rain- 
waters during  the  winter  to  run  easily  down.  To  prevent  the  overheat- 
ing and  the  molding  of  the  root  in  question,  these  stacks,  in  the  month 
of  February,  are  turned  upside  down.  This  expensive  operation  is  re- 
peated at  different  times  until  the  mouth  of  June,  at  which  time,  the 
drying  being  complete,  the  transport  to  the  port  of  shipment  is  made 
on  camels'  backs.  The  firm  of  Alexander  Sidi,  of  Smyrna,  which  has 
effected  the  most  important  purchases  in  this  year,  for  the  account  of 
an  American  company,  has  just  established  at  Alexandretta  presses 
moved  by  steam,  which  will  be  used  for  the  pressing  of  the  licorice  root. 

The  quantity  which  will  be  exported  this  year  from  the  ports  of  Sue- 
dich  and  Alexandretta  can  be  estimated  at  about  6,000  tons,  at  an  ap- 
proximate value  of  $192,000. 

F.  POCHE, 

Consular  Agent. 

UNITED  STATES  CONSULAR  AGENCY, 

Aleppo,  May  14, 18e?5. 


145806 


SB 

295     U.S.    Bureau 
L7U5      of  foreign 
coTTimerce .    - 


This  booR  is  DUE  on  the  last 
date  stamped  below 


MY  2  11952 


lOm-4,'28 


